Muzaffargarh tragedy: Investigation was faulty, says IGP Punjab

In 9-page report submitted before SC, IGP says victim was neither medically examined nor subjected to DNA test.

ISLAMABAD:

A teenage rape victim who died from burn injuries a day after immolating herself in Muzaffargarh last week was neither medically examined nor subjected to a DNA test, the Punjab police chief admitted in a nine-page report submitted before the Supreme Court on Monday.

Complying with the March 14 order of the top court, Inspector General of Police Khan Baig appeared before a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, in a suo motu case regarding the Muzaffargarh rape and self-immolation incident.

The 17-year-old college student had set herself on fire after her alleged rapist was released on bail due to faulty investigations.

According to the report submitted by IGP Baig, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, the investigating officer (IO) had declared the alleged rapist innocent due to seven reasons:

1.) No marks of resistance were found at the crime scene; 2.) the statement that four accused rode on one motorcycle to abduct the complainant is illogical; 3.) the complainant had a personal grudge against the accused; 4.) the accused had lodged a case against the complainant’s father over a cattle dispute; 5.) there were discrepancies and inconsistencies in the complainant’s statements; 6.) the accused was not present at the crime scene at the time of the incident and 7) the complainant had said the rape was committed by the roadside which was discounted as such because it was a public place.

Three sisters of the complainant recorded their statements before IO SI Zulfiqar Ali on March 2 saying that their father fabricated the case against the accused, Nadir Hussain, in an attempt to grab his cattle. The complainant’s aunt also told investigators that the case was fabricated.

The report also contains the statements of five witnesses, including the complainant’s brother, father and three other persons that endorsed the victim’s stance. Similarly, on the direction of DPO, the DSP Sadar Circle, Asghar Ali, also investigated the matter and declared the accused innocent on similar grounds.

Regarding action against the delinquent police officials, the report says that four officials – DSP Asghar Ali, SHO Shahid Hussain, SI Ghulam Idrees and IO Zulfiqar Ali – have been suspended.

The IGP submitted that Abdul Qadir Qayyum, the regional police officer, DG Khan, has been made OSD. Similarly, DPO Usman Akram Gondal has been transferred and the federal government has been asked to take departmental action against him.

The report says that a three-member team, comprising ASP Arif Aslam Rao and Inspectors Abdul Sattar and Muhammad Arshad, will investigate the whole incident afresh.

The bench, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the makeup of the team and directed the police to form a new team, headed by AIG, and submit the report within 10 days.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2014.